When Emily Hecht-McGowan and her wife, Sharon McGowan, travel outside of Maryland with their 1-year-old daughter, they take a Pack ‘n Play crib, diapers, formula, snacks, a stroller, toys -- and lots of documents.

The documents, like the diapers, are necessary protections for their daughter, Sadie. If she had a health emergency in a state that doesn’t recognize same-sex marriage, a hospital may not recognize both Emily and Sharon as parents without documents to prove it.

“Because laws vary from state-to-state and because we don’t have nationwide recognition [as same-sex couples], couples still need to go through extra steps to ensure the security of their family,” said Emily Hecht-McGowan, who lives in Takoma Park.

Legal same-sex marriage in Maryland means both partners are recognized as parents. But that recognition doesn’t automatically extend to the 35 states that currently restrict marriage to a man and a woman.